2019 NFL Mock Draft: Matt Miller's Final 7-Round Predictions

2019 NFL Mock Draft: Matt Miller's Final 7-Round Predictions

This Thursday night, 32 teams will enter their draft rooms and make selections, trades and decisions that will be the difference between Super Bowl wins and the loss of jobs. Players will be overdrafted. Others will fall and land in perfect positions. We'll be shocked, and we'll be outraged.

Predicting every selection would be like nailing seven perfect brackets in March Madness—it's not going to happen and shouldn't be expected. Even getting half of the first-round picks right would be like winning the lottery. But a final mock draft is a collection of the information gathered throughout the draft process and pieced together with some educated guesswork.

This mock draft is not what I would do as an evaluator but what each team is rumored to be thinking. One trade could change it all, especially in a mock that doesn't predict them, but here's my look at what could happen when the draft kicks off in Nashville, Tennessee.

1. Arizona Cardinals

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Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The Pick: QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma

Unless the Arizona Cardinals have run the most elaborate smokescreen in NFL draft history, this will be their pick.

Murray is the perfect quarterback for new head coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense with his middle-of-the-field accuracy, his touch, his mobility and his arm strength down the field. He doesn't fit the standard NFL size threshold at 5'10" and 207 pounds, but he has rare traits as a passer and runner that the league hasn't seen since Michael Vick.

The Cardinals likely had long conversations about Alabama's Quinnen Williams and Ohio State's Nick Bosa here, but all the information coming from league and team sources since January pointed to Murray as the pick.

2. San Francisco 49ers

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The Pick: EDGE Nick Bosa, Ohio State

The debate when the San Francisco 49ers come on the clock will be between Bosa and Alabama's Quinnen Williams. Both sit atop most draft boards as the two best players in the class, and both would fill an immediate need for the 49ers.

Bosa, though, fills the need that general manager John Lynch has preached to his scouts and coaches about solving. The Buckeyes product is a plug-and-play edge-rusher with a high football IQ, high athletic traits and the pass-rushing savvy to dominate early in his pro career.

3. New York Jets

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Michael Wyke/Associated Press

The Pick: DL Ed Oliver, Houston

Here is where the draft will get interesting. I do not expect the New York Jets to keep this pick. Instead, they will try to trade with a team that wants to come up for a quarterback. But in a mock draft with no trades predicted, the Jets are able to get a dominant pass-rusher many believe can line up all over a defense and impact the game from the interior or the edge.

Oliver isn't the best player available—that would be Quinnen Williams—but he is a natural fit in coordinator Gregg Williams' defense and is my pick if somehow the Jets cannot trade out.

4. Oakland Raiders

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Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

The Pick: DL Quinnen Williams, Alabama

There was late buzz that the Oakland Raiders like Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins, but I'm sticking with the intel that's been on the street since January—that the Raiders really want Quinnen Williams.

The Alabama defensive tackle can be a plug-and-play Pro Bowl-caliber defender and line up at either nose or 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme. He and Maurice Hurst side-by-side will give the Raiders the pass rush they so desperately need after finishing last in sacks (13) in 2018.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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The Pick: LB Devin White, LSU

Out goes Kwon Alexander in free agency; in comes a replacement from the same college in Devin White.

White is the ideal linebacker for new coordinator Todd Bowles' defensive scheme given his range, athleticism, instincts and three-down playing ability. He will also be the leader this defense needs if/when Gerald McCoy moves on from Tampa.

With Oliver and Williams off the board, this becomes an easy selection for general manager Jason Licht.

6. New York Giants

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The Pick: EDGE Josh Allen, Kentucky

The Giants could go in a number of directions at No. 6 overall—and many fans will want them to select a quarterback—but the most reliable information is that pass-rusher is the priority.

General manager Dave Gettleman will use the first of his two picks Thursday night to get the man who led the SEC with 17.0 sacks in 2018 while notching 21.5 tackles for loss as a do-it-all defender. Allen can play in a 3-4 defense, which is very important under Giants coordinator James Bettcher, and he has the skills to stop the run and drop into coverage.

A quarterback selection wouldn't be shocking here, but a defensive piece is most likely.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars

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The Pick: TE T.J. Hockenson, Iowa

The Jacksonville Jaguars have their pick of the top offensive linemen in the draft at No. 7 overall but opt instead to draft a pass-catcher who can become Nick Foles' version of Zach Ertz in the AFC South.

Hockenson is a complete tight end with a skill set similar to Ertz's or George Kittle's. He has every asset to be an early-season star in the Jacksonville offense and should become Foles' favorite target. Hockenson also helps in the running game, where he's a productive inline and flex blocker.

8. Detroit Lions

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The Pick: OT Jonah Williams, Alabama

Will the Detroit Lions actually make this pick? Many NFL insiders don't believe they want to and will instead trade back to let a quarterback-needy team come up in front of the Denver Broncos or Cincinnati Bengals.

Don't get too caught up on what position Jonah Williams is listed at. The three-year starter at Alabama can line up at any of the offensive line spots and be a high-level rookie starter with Pro Bowl potential. The Lions could slide him in tomorrow at right guard and get a Brandon Scherff-type investment.

A pass-rusher wouldn't be a surprise here, but after rumors that Michigan's Rashan Gary and Mississippi State's Montez Sweat are falling because of health issues, there isn't one at a good value.

9. Buffalo Bills

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The Pick: DL Christian Wilkins, Clemson

The Buffalo Bills find themselves in a spot with the top targets off the board, which might mean a trade back on draft night. Here, though, the Bills sit and select an impactful, high-floor, high-character defensive tackle who is an immediate starter in their defense.

Christian Wilkins isn't an elite tester and didn't have flashy stats, but he was a three-year anchor for the Tigers defense and the leader of the room. With his motor, he's a Sean McDermott-type player, and his off-field value only adds to the package the Bills get at No. 9 overall.

10. Denver Broncos

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Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The Pick: LB Devin Bush, Michigan

The rumors that started at the Senior Bowl regarding the Denver Broncos and Missouri quarterback Drew Lock seemed to have died once the team traded with Baltimore for Joe Flacco. With a veteran quarterback in the fold, it's most likely the Broncos will look to bolster the defense at No. 10 overall.

Devin Bush can be head coach Vic Fangio's Patrick Willis in Denver. He's a rangy, tough, smart linebacker who can blitz, stuff the run and drop into coverage. The "Mike" position is incredibly valuable and important in this scheme, so filling it here is a great choice for Fangio and the Broncos.

11. Cincinnati Bengals

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Ben McKeown/Associated Press

The Pick: QB Daniel Jones, Duke

The Cincinnati Bengals will select a smart, accurate, experienced quarterback who is pro-ready to compete with Andy Dalton in a somewhat surprising move but one that makes sense if new head coach Zac Taylor wants to build his team in the model of the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams were built on the flexibility of a rookie quarterback contract, and that's something Dalton's deal doesn't allow for ($33.9 million remaining over the next two seasons). Dalton, as the Bengals know firsthand, also isn't going to drive the team to the postseason on his talents. It's best to tear it down, rebuild on a cheaper deal and let Dalton walk in free agency in 2020.

Jones is my QB4, but the word around the league is that he'll be the second quarterback off the board.

12. Green Bay Packers

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Holly Hart/Associated Press

The Pick: TE Noah Fant, Iowa

Aaron Rodgers needs more targets. It's that simple. The Green Bay Packers brought in Matt LaFleur as their head coach thanks to his Rams connection and the hope that he can spread out the offense and get the ball out of Rodgers' elite hands faster.

Now they need to give No. 12 talented players who can make things happen post-catch.

Noah Fant is an athletic tight end with awesome size (6'4", 249 lbs) and the ability to line up in multiple spots across the offensive formation. Fant's speed up the field plus his ability to help as a blocker in the running game make him a perfect fit for Green Bay.

13. Miami Dolphins

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The Pick: EDGE Brian Burns, Florida State

The Miami Dolphins need a quarterback, but it's no secret around the NFL that the front office would be OK waiting until 2020 to get the team's QB of the future. That means going best player available in Round 1 of the 2019 draft.

Brian Burns is an athletic, special pass-rusher with developed moves in his hands and a killer spin move. He does need to add power, and there were questions about his play strength. But he has a body that can continue to develop on the fly. His ceiling just might give the Dolphins a second coming of Jason Taylor.

14. Atlanta Falcons

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Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The Pick: DL Rashan Gary, Michigan

The Atlanta Falcons are a sneaky team to watch that might try to trade up. Assistant general manager Scott Pioli and GM Thomas Dimitroff love defensive linemen, and this draft is stocked full of them. Don't be surprised if the Falcons are on the move when Round 1 starts.

If the Falcons stay at No. 14 overall, Rashan Gary makes the most sense. He's a powerful defensive end with the size (6'4", 277 lbs) to potentially kick inside and play next to Grady Jarrett in a lot of four-man fronts. A defense with Vic Beasley Jr., Gary, Jarrett and Takkarist McKinley could get the Falcons back in the NFC South playoff race.

15. Washington Redskins

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Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Pick: QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State

Washington may need to trade up to secure him, but all the information gathered in the week before the draft pointed to the Redskins really wanting Dwayne Haskins. One source inside the coaching staff said team president Doug Williams was obsessed with getting the Ohio State quarterback.

Haskins' rise from backup to J.T. Barrett to first-rounder is impressive, as was his development in-season. There is some debate about his readiness to play in the NFL after he started just one season at Ohio State, but his accuracy and decision-making are very good. He's a natural fit in head coach Jay Gruden's suped-up West Coast offense.

16. Carolina Panthers

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Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The Pick: OT Jawaan Taylor, Florida

Rival front offices expect the Carolina Panthers to select an offensive tackle in the first round and maybe even trade up to get one. I wouldn't rule out the idea that a pass-rusher could be the Panthers' selection if one they like slips through the cracks.

In this mock, Jawaan Taylor makes it to Carolina and is a plug-and-play answer to the right tackle question. Protect Cam Newton and opening holes for Christian McCaffrey are the most important moves the franchise can make right now, and Taylor is an NFL-ready road-grader on the right side.

17. New York Giants (via Cleveland)

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The Pick: QB Drew Lock, Missouri

I am not sold on the idea that the New York Giants will select a quarterback in the first round. General manager Dave Gettleman could see the offensive linemen available at No. 17 and double down on picks in the trenches before selecting a signal-caller in Round 2. But if Drew Lock is available, logic says the team will pull the trigger.

Lock is very different from Eli Manning, but he would be ready in 2020 to take the reins with his big arm as well as with his mobility and his ability to sling the ball vertically and open up the offense for the team's speedy receivers.

The Giants have played the 2019 draft process masterfully, with no one sure just what they'll do, but they should be adding a quarterback with one of their first three selections.

18. Minnesota Vikings

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The Pick: OC Garrett Bradbury, NC State

The Vikings could easily take one of the top offensive tackles remaining on the board here, but the smart move is to draft the best center in the class and look to move Pat Elflein to a more natural position of offensive guard.

Bradbury isn't on the level of Ryan Kelly or Billy Price in terms of the best centers I've evaluated recently, but he's also a very different player. He has special mobility and agility in getting to linebackers or pulling to kick out defensive ends in the running game. He's an athlete, and it shows when he's on the move. That's perfect for the Vikings as they look to get Dalvin Cook more touches and keep quarterback Kirk Cousins upright.

19. Tennessee Titans

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The Pick: DL Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State

In doing predraft calls with teams, the Tennessee Titans were listed as the furthest Jeffery Simmons would drop in the first round. I believe it, as the team has long been rumored to love the Mississippi State defensive tackle.

Simmons would be a top-five player on my big board were it not for an ACL injury he suffered while training. He's a Richard Seymour-like defensive lineman who can play any position up front and make an impact. He's powerful, fast, long and smart at the point of attack. And while he might not be ready until late in the season, if your team is making a playoff run, he's exactly the type of impact you want coming in for December.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

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The Pick: CB Rock Ya-Sin, Temple

As the draft process came to an end, multiple front-office sources believed that cornerbacks Greedy Williams (LSU) and Deandre Baker (Georgia) would fall on Day 1. That opened the door for Temple's Rock Ya-Sin to rise to CB1 in this class.

Ya-Sin's hard-nosed style of play with his good size (6'0", 192 lbs) and speed on the edge are perfect for Pittsburgh. This is the opposite of the Artie Burns pick in 2016, when the front office prioritized speed and flashy play instead of getting toughness and technique at the position. Ya-Sin is a plug-and-play starter opposite Joe Haden.

21. Seattle Seahawks

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The Pick: EDGE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson

After moving Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs—and picking up, in part, an extra 2019 first-rounder—the Seattle Seahawks have awesome flexibility in Round 1. They can use this selection or auction it off to try to add to their league-low five picks in this class.

In a mock without trades, the Seahawks select a replacement for Clark and find a similar player. Clemson's Clelin Ferrell has awesome power, a nonstop motor and the length needed to disrupt the passing game. He also comes with a clean background and was a team captain on a Clemson roster full of high-character workers.

22. Baltimore Ravens

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The Pick: OG Chris Lindstrom, Boston College

The Baltimore Ravens missed out on Garrett Bradbury here but landed the best offensive guard in the class in Boston College's agile Chris Lindstrom.

With Marshal Yanda, who turns 35 in September, nearing the end of his brilliant career, Lindstrom is the perfect pick to start opposite him now and eventually take his place. He's incredibly mobile while working to the second level and has excellent zone-blocking angles from the snap.

As the Ravens offense evolves with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, a guard who can pull and move the pocket is among the most valuable positions the team can add.

23. Houston Texans

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The Pick: OT Andre Dillard, Washington State

It might take a trade up to pull off the selection of Andre Dillard, but sources all week pointed to him as the player the Houston Texans covet most in Round 1.

Deshaun Watson took a beating behind a bad offensive line last season (sacked a league-high 62 times), and the Texans must utilize the draft to protect him. The Texans should focus on the offensive line with this pick and with one of their two second-rounders (if they don't trade them).

Dillard is the most athletic of all the 2019 offensive tackles, and while the Washington State product doesn't pack much power in the running game, the Texans need him to protect Watson above all else.

24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago)

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The Pick: CB Greedy Williams, LSU

Running back Josh Jacobs is an option here, but the Raiders should be heavily invested in finding another outside cornerback to start opposite Gareon Conley. New general manager Mike Mayock can roll the dice that Jacobs will be available at No. 27 overall and instead grab our top-ranked 2019 corner here.

Williams is a polarizing player. Some teams have him as the top cornerback, and others have him outside the top five at the position. On tape, he's the best, though, with 6'2" size and a 4.37 40-yard-dash speed that helped him blanket SEC receivers in the two seasons he saw action.

It's hard to predict what type of players the first-year general manager will like, but Greedy has the speed the organization has always coveted.

25. Philadelphia Eagles

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The Pick: WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma

In this business, sometimes you're told a team wants a player, and you have a hard time rationalizing the pick. This is one of those times.

The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to move on from Nelson Agholor, which would seemingly make Marquise Brown a fit and a need, but they also signed DeSean Jackson and are still intrigued by Mack Hollins at receiver.

Unless the plan is to use three- and four-wide sets exclusively, then drafting a receiver early feels a lot like a luxury pick—and they have an elite tight end in Zach Ertz and spent a 2018 second-rounder on Dallas Goedert.

My selection would be defensive line help. But my final mock draft is based on information and not what I would do, so Brown is the pick.

26. Indianapolis Colts

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Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

The Pick: S Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State

The Indianapolis Colts get lucky, and their guy falls to No. 26 overall.

For weeks now, the talk from NFL sources has been that the Colts really want Johnathan Abram, but there was a belief in their draft room and others that he wouldn't fall to them at this spot. Instead of trading up to secure him, the thought was the Colts would look at cornerback or defensive line and then try to get a safety in Round 2.

Instead, Abram is here, and the Colts get a perfect enforcer to work next to Malik Hooker in a secondary that's suddenly very dangerous.

27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas)

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The Pick: RB Josh Jacobs, Alabama

With the announcement that Marshawn Lynch will retire (again), this pick becomes not only a fit and a value but also a priority for the Raiders.

Jacobs is a top-10 player on my board with excellent vision, power, pass-catching ability and lateral agility as a runner. He didn't blow away scouts in the 40-yard dash (4.6-second range at his first pro day), but he has a running style more like Alvin Kamara. He has quick burst in short areas and then the power to truck you if you get in his way.

Quarterback Derek Carr will have to be happy with all the new toys (Jacobs, Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams) at his disposal.

28. Los Angeles Chargers

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The Pick: DL Dexter Lawrence, Clemson

The Los Angeles Chargers lacked bulk and power in the middle on defense last year. That changes with the addition of a powerful, big athlete in Dexter Lawrence and his 6'4", 342-pound frame.

Lawrence gets typecast as a nose tackle—and he is one—but he's also so much more. Most nose tackle prospects can't get upfield like he can as a pass-rusher or run down ball-carriers. Lawrence has the athleticism to stay on the field for all three downs, sliding over to a 1-technique and getting after the quarterback when needed.

The Chargers could go secondary here, but Lawrence is too good to pass up.

29. Seattle Seahawks (from Kansas City)

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The Pick: CB Lonnie Johnson, Kentucky

It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Seattle Seahawks auction off this selection to the highest bidder and try to add to their war chest of draft picks, but in this mock they stay put and select a starting cornerback with the ideal measurements for their scheme.

When you ask around about Lonnie Johnson, you hear the word "alpha" a lot, which is what the Seahawks need after a dismantling on defense. Johnson can be the leader in the secondary, and with his 6'2" size and 32⅝-inch arm length, he's the rare Round 1 fit at cornerback for a Seahawks' scheme that prioritizes bigger corners.

30. Green Bay Packers (from New Orleans)

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The Pick: OL Cody Ford, Oklahoma

This is a predicted fall for Cody Ford, who could come off the boards in the teens, but the run on more athletic interior linemen pushes him down to the Green Bay Packers. And they need him in the worst way.

Ford is a powerful right tackle prospect who could also play either guard spot as needed. With Bryan Bulaga unable to stay fully healthy, Ford is a plug-and-play answer on the right side. Since Aaron Rodgers has taken far too many shots to the facemask in recent years, addressing the deterioration of the right side with an extra first-rounder is the way to go.

31. Los Angeles Rams

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The Pick: OL Dalton Risner, Kansas State

The beauty of selecting Dalton Risner at No. 31 overall is he can play any position on the offensive line, which is a need for the Los Angeles Rams as they move on from John Sullivan and Rodger Saffold and prepare for a world without Andrew Whitworth in the near future.

Risner, who projects best as an interior lineman, could be a Week 1 starter at center or guard for the Rams but could also get a long look at right tackle in training camp. He's experienced, tough, athletic and versatile enough that L.A. might not know his position on draft night but can easily pencil him in as a starter for the foreseeable future.

32. New England Patriots

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The Pick: WR A.J. Brown, Ole Miss

Sometimes when making a mock draft you look at the moves teams tried to make but couldn't. The New England Patriots tried to trade for Odell Beckham Jr. They reportedly tried to trade for Antonio Brown. They definitely tried to trade for Sterling Shepard. These moves all point to a realization that wide receiver help is needed.

Enter A.J. Brown, my top-ranked receiver in this class and someone with experience from the slot and outside the formation as a productive, athletic SEC performer. Brown can dominate on intermediate and breaking routes while showing soft hands and clean routes. His football IQ and route-tree knowledge will help him get onto the field early in New England and quickly become a Tom Brady favorite.